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Australia steps up military cooperation with Philippines – politics live
Australia steps up military cooperation with Philippines – politics live
(35 minutes later)
2.49am BST
02:49
Former Labor minister and Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett is speaking to the National Press Club this afternoon.
Here is a taste:
I believe this is the most critical address I’ve given here. After many years both outside and inside the system, in inverted commas, I’m convinced more than ever that we face an existential threat greater than any other as humans literally upend the world’s climate and natural ecosystems. To do nothing in the face of this threat, of which we are well aware, is to acquiesce to a world diminishing in front of us. We will deservedly reap the scorn an danger of our children if we fail to act now. There’s a fundamental divide in our response but it’s not between insiders and outsiders, it’s between those who are willing to [change] and those clinging desperately to an corrupted ideology. I’m willing to open their eyes or their hearts to what’s happening around them. Regardless of our day jobs and status in the political environment, it still boils down to one basic proposition - are we part of the problem or part of the solution? Our world is astonishing in its diversity and beauty, but one thing is crystal clear. The oceans, the continents, the atmospheres, they are finite.
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02:41
The “man-in-the-mirror” scandal which has engulfed the Australian Wool Innovation boss has been the object of much fascination in estimates (and the press gallery). That has a lot to do with both the case (the AWI secretly monitored woolgrowers who had been invited to take part in a focus group) and the fact that Wal Merriman later told a ABC journalist who asked about it to “fuck off”.
He apologised for both. AAP have covered the hearing here. Key point: Merriman, who is facing calls to resign said: “Never before have meetings been held in a room with a one-way mirror ... this was all very strange to me when I went to observe the process.”
As for his use of profanity, that was because he was “from the bush” and “occasionally come across in a way that causes offence”.
I’ll let one of the experts in this field have the last word here:
In 10 years rural reporting I don't recall anyone "from the bush" telling me to "f*ck off" while doing my job. Let alone an industry leader. https://t.co/qMUds54lMF
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Given the opportunity from Penny Wong to explain what she saw as the commission’s role, Rosalind Croucher talks about the educational outreach programs and conciliation programs, which she describes as “quiet achievements” and “quiet service”. She adds to the list of “quiets” with “quiet assistance”, which she says occurs when the commission acts as an invited intervenor.
Asked why she used the adjective “quiet”, Croucher said:
“I chose the word quiet because I think it is the aspects of the commission’s work that I think are often not observed or not out in the observance.”
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Paul Karp
Paul Karp
Australia Post chief executive, Christine Corbett, has told Senate estimates that 100% of the marriage law postal survey forms were delivered.
Australia Post chief executive, Christine Corbett, has told Senate estimates that 100% of the marriage law postal survey forms were delivered.
Of course, that only means that the letters went where the Australian Electoral Commission and Australian Bureau of Statistics sent them, not that they always had the right address.
Of course, that only means that the letters went where the Australian Electoral Commission and Australian Bureau of Statistics sent them, not that they always had the right address.
Asked about reports of postal survey forms being dumped around letter boxes, Corbett said Australia Post was aware of two instances of that, one in Brunswick, Melbourne and one in Canberra.
Asked about reports of postal survey forms being dumped around letter boxes, Corbett said Australia Post was aware of two instances of that, one in Brunswick, Melbourne and one in Canberra.
Corbett: In both those two instances, the items were delivered correctly and it appears there was theft from mailboxes after delivery had occurred.
Corbett: “In both those two instances, the items were delivered correctly and it appears there was theft from mailboxes after delivery had occurred.
After the postal survey forms were dumped, Australia Post was contacted by the media and worked with the ABS to communicate to affected residents to get replacement forms.
“After the postal survey forms were dumped, Australia Post was contacted by the media and worked with the ABS to communicate to affected residents to get replacement forms.”
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Further to Gareth’s post on the recommendation from the Productivity Commission to put a price on carbon, you may be interested in this exchange from estimates overnight. (I’m slowly working my way through what happened after I clocked off yesterday)
Further to Gareth’s post on the recommendation from the Productivity Commission to put a price on carbon, you may be interested in this exchange from estimates overnight. (I’m slowly working my way through what happened after I clocked off yesterday.)
Penny Wong (who was very busy yesterday) had some questions for Rob Heferen, the deputy secretary of energy about the government’s energy policy:
Penny Wong (who was very busy yesterday) had some questions for Rob Heferen, the deputy secretary of energy, about the government’s energy policy:
Wong: So have you assessed what the implicit carbon price might be under a pro rata abatement scenario as we were discussing before, for this mechanism? Heferen: So there’s–when you talk about an implicit carbon price.Wong: No, I am because I think there is one and so do many others but...
Wong: “So have you assessed what the implicit carbon price might be under a pro rata abatement scenario as we were discussing before, for this mechanism?” Heferen: “So there’s ... when you talk about an implicit carbon price.”Wong: “No, I am because I think there is one and so do many others but ...”
Heferen: I am, I obviously hear what you’re saying but I can’t...
Heferen: “I am, I obviously hear what you’re saying but I can’t...”
Wong: What do you call the value?
Wong: “What do you call the value?”
Heferen: There will be a price paid.
Heferen: “There will be a price paid.”
Wong: Thank you
Wong: “Thank you.”
Heferen: And that price paid will reflect the emissions level, the reliability and, of course, the retailers capacity to be able to influence what their customers use.
Heferen: “And that price paid will reflect the emissions level, the reliability and, of course, the retailers capacity to be able to influence what their customers use.”
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Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher, the president of the Human Rights Commission is fronting her first estimates hearing. She said she appreciates the opportunity to “reset” the government’s relationship with the commission.
Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher, the president of the Human Rights Commission is fronting her first estimates hearing. She said she appreciates the opportunity to “reset” the government’s relationship with the commission.
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Simon Birmingham also had some things to say about the Productivity Commission report while talking to Sky this morning:
Simon Birmingham also had some things to say about the Productivity Commission report while talking to Sky this morning:
Now, this Productivity Commission report really is a call to arms to the Labor party, to the Senate crossbench – particularly the Nick Xenophon Team – to reconsider their position around higher education reforms, because the government is already one step ahead of the Productivity Commission. We’ve already put a focus on how we can get better bang for our buck in education, drive efficiencies and drive the public dollar, the taxpayer dollars further. We’ve already put a focus on how we actually put in place a performance metric for universities that will hold some of their funding contingent upon a range of things including, ultimately, graduate outcomes. We’re taking action here and the only roadblocks are those who seem to want to call for another reform or review.
Now, this Productivity Commission report really is a call to arms to the Labor party, to the Senate crossbench – particularly the Nick Xenophon Team – to reconsider their position around higher education reforms, because the government is already one step ahead of the Productivity Commission. We’ve already put a focus on how we can get better bang for our buck in education, drive efficiencies and drive the public dollar, the taxpayer dollars further. We’ve already put a focus on how we actually put in place a performance metric for universities that will hold some of their funding contingent upon a range of things including, ultimately, graduate outcomes. We’re taking action here and the only roadblocks are those who seem to want to call for another reform or review.
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The ACCC have tabled their annual report. You’ll find it here
The ACCC have tabled their annual report. You’ll find it here
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01:47
Gareth Hutchens
Gareth Hutchens
The treasurer, Scott Morrison, has been trumpeting the new five-year productivity review from the Productivity Commission, which was released this morning.
The treasurer, Scott Morrison, has been trumpeting the new five-year productivity review from the Productivity Commission, which was released this morning.
He’s been curiously quiet about one recommendation.
He’s been curiously quiet about one recommendation.
Now that we’ve got a copy of the review, here’s what the PC says the Turnbull government should do to improve Australia’s productivity (remember the PC is the government’s market-obsessed thinktank).
Now that we’ve got a copy of the review, here’s what the PC says the Turnbull government should do to improve Australia’s productivity (remember the PC is the government’s market-obsessed thinktank).
Recommendation 5.1:
Recommendation 5.1:
“Stop the piecemeal and stop-start approach to emission reduction, and adopt a proper vehicle for reducing carbon emissions that puts a single effective price on carbon.”
“Stop the piecemeal and stop-start approach to emission reduction, and adopt a proper vehicle for reducing carbon emissions that puts a single effective price on carbon.”
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Not sure if everyone picked up on this yesterday (it was a loooong day with a lot going on), but I think it may be mentioned in question time, so I thought I would revisit it.
Not sure if everyone picked up on this yesterday (it was a loooong day with a lot going on), but I think it may be mentioned in question time, so I thought I would revisit it.
The Bruce Billson investigation (after it was revealed he was being paid by a lobby firm while still sitting in parliament. He was cleared) was discussed yesterday and during that discussion, Penny Wong and George Brandis had this exchange:
The Bruce Billson investigation (after it was revealed he was being paid by a lobby firm while still sitting in parliament. He was cleared) was discussed yesterday and during that discussion, Penny Wong and George Brandis had this exchange:
Wong: “I would like to know whether Mr Turnbull thinks it is appropriate for a member of the Liberal party, representing the people of Dunkley, to take a salary from a third party whilst sitting in this parliament?”
Wong: “I would like to know whether Mr Turnbull thinks it is appropriate for a member of the Liberal party, representing the people of Dunkley, to take a salary from a third party whilst sitting in this parliament?”
Brandis: “I will take that on notice, but might I point out to you senator, it is very appropriate for backbench members of parliament to receive remuneration from third-party sources not inconsistent with their responsibility as members of parliament.”
Brandis: “I will take that on notice, but might I point out to you senator, it is very appropriate for backbench members of parliament to receive remuneration from third-party sources not inconsistent with their responsibility as members of parliament.”
Wong: “Wow. That’s hilarious.”
Wong: “Wow. That’s hilarious.”
Brandis: “It’s both consistent and commonplace.”
Brandis: “It’s both consistent and commonplace.”
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Mike Bowers has been in and out of the committee rooms this morning:
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Paul Karp
Labor’s caucus has decided to oppose both bills that implement the government’s media deal with One Nation, including the imposition of a “fair and balanced” test on the ABC.
Bill Shorten told caucus the only thing that is fast about Malcolm Turnbull’s national broadband network is “the speed with which he finds someone else is to blame”.
The climate change spokesman, Mark Butler, said the government’s national energy guarantee is “nothing more than a plan to strangle renewable energy, investment and jobs”. He said achieving a mix of 28% renewable energy by 2030 would mean “a two-third cut to rooftop solar installation and no large-scale projects built over the next decade”.
Also worth noting that after the shadow cabinet reshuffle, there are now 31 people in the shadow ministry and Andrew Leigh who had to take a $40,000 pay cut last reshuffle will now get a pay rise.
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Australia steps up counter terrorism support in the Philippines
Marise Payne has made quite a few announcements while visiting the Philippines. Here is a bit of her brief conference:
The ADF will provide mobile training teams that will begin providing urban warfare counter-terrorism training in the Philippines in the coming days. It is very practical training by the ADF which will support the Philippines defence force to be able to counter what are very brutal tactics by terrorists.
Through our significant involvement in the last couple of years in the counter-Daesh campaign in Iraq and Syria, Australia has acquired skills and knowledge that we are able to share with the Philippines armed forces. As part of our increased cooperation, we have also agreed to work together to enhance intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance in the southern Philippines, to strengthen our ... information sharing and enhance our maritime patrols.
Together, Australia and the Philippines will cohost a multiagency civil military and ... law enforcement seminar on post-conflict rehabilitation of its later this year. This seminar will draw lessons from past operations and international and local civil military police expertise. These measures together will strengthen our ability and the ability of the government in the region, but here specifically in the Philippines, to combat this terrorist threat over the long-term. This inherent strength support will include a number of elements. The Australian army will provide training to the Philippines army and the Philippines marine corps. This training will be conducted on Philippines military bases. It will include a range of skills related to combat on urban environments. It will involve information sharing and experience sharing to ensure that we are best able to use the skills that we have two hand.
The Royal Australian Navy will conduct ship visits to the Philippines that involve a range of cooperative activities to support the development of capacity in the Philippines navy. This cooperation will begin with an Australian patrol boat visit in the next month. Our P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft have been operating in support of the fight in Marawi for some months now. The secretary and I have discussed their activities in the last couple of days. Now that the secretary of national defence has declared the end of combat operations in Marawi, we have been reviewing with the Philippines the need for that continuing engagement is and the reconnaissance support. We will work with the Philippines to address that in the coming days. Australian experts from military and civilian agencies will conduct a seminar in the Philippines, which is focused on the efforts of a whole of government response and approach to reconstruction, recovery and rehabilitation.
We are also going to increase our intelligence cooperation including expert advice on countering Daesh-inspired social media. We know the battle against terrorism does not just occur in a physical combat zone, it occurs in the internet zone, it occurs in the cyber worlds to a degree that it is difficult to appreciate unless you are very focused on that and this is something we have been very conscious of in Iraq and Syria.”
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We have the Productivity Commission report and are going through it now. We’ll have an update on it as soon as we finish reading it (it’s 253 pages).
Scott Morrison gave a speech at a Ceda event this morning, where he praised the government’s policies.
Following the speech, he held a press conference where he talked more about the Productivity Commission report, (and, because it’s Morrison, let us all know his latest thoughts on Labor):
The goal is clear. More and better paid jobs, lifting living standards. The report from the Productivity Commission I think provides good direction. The goals are for governments to work through. I commend Peter [Harris] and his team for what they have delivered. It is not just about issues in that report, as I said in my presentation it is also about getting on with the reforms we have on the table. Changes like taxes, tax changes that lead to higher wages, improved investment. Some 6.3 million Australians in 120,000 businesses, as a result of Chris Bowen’s press conference this morning, are living in limbo. 120,000 businesses, 6.3 million Australians at work for businesses that have a turnover between $2m-$50m a year. They don’t want you to sit on the couch and contemplate these things, they want to know what you are going to do, and they want to know if you are going to put up their taxes. You have had plenty of time to work it out, we have this debate at the last election, and the Coalition won the election. Key to that was decreasing taxes to increase better-paid jobs.
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01:09
Shadow cabinet reshuffle announced
Bill Shorten has announced a minor reshuffle in his shadow cabinet, in the wake of Kate Ellis’ announcement earlier this year she will not stand at the next election.
Today I announce minor changes to Labor’s shadow ministerial team following Kate Ellis’ decision to step down and not contest the next election.
Following this morning’s Labor caucus meeting, I have asked deputy opposition leader Tanya Plibersek to add training to her existing responsibilities as shadow minister for education and shadow minister for women. Working closely with Tanya will be Senator Doug Cameron, who will add Tafe to his current responsibilities as shadow minister for skills and apprenticeships.
Amanda Rishworth will join the shadow cabinet as the shadow minister for early childhood education and development, in addition to her current role as shadow minister for veterans’ affairs.
Matt Thistlethwaite will become the shadow assistant minister for an Australian head of state, in addition to his current role as shadow assistant minister for Treasury.
On behalf of the entire Labor movement, I want to once again record my thanks to Kate for her 13 years of outstanding parliamentary service. I know she will approach the next chapter of her life with the same hard work, honest charm and genuine concern for the lives of her fellow Australians.
In the mean time, we hope Kate, David and their growing family enjoy some well-earned time together at home.
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'What is it you hate about Guardian Australia?'
Paul Karp
Labor senator Deborah O’Neil has been grilling communications minister, Mitchell Fifield about why the government’s media deal with the Nick Xenophon Team excluded Guardian Australia.
Nick Xenophon has said that it was a “non-negotiable” element of the package that none of the $60m go to Guardian Australia.
O’Neil asks in several ways: what is it you hate about Guardian Australia?
Fifield: “The government makes no apology for the fact that one of the tests is it can’t be controlled by an entity that is not Australian.”
Fifield said that none of the criteria relate to an organisation’s philosophy. “We don’t have a test for ideology.”
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Back in the legal affairs committee hearing and Derryn Hinch has picked up on the ACL van fire, seemingly to allow the police to clarify their comments about why they came to the conclusion it was not politically motivated. ACT police’s Justine Saunders:
Our understanding is he spent one to two months preparing for this event and during that time, he explored a lot of information through social media, both relating to the course of action he took, options available to him ... He certainly made statements to us that he felt religion had failed, and he had explored on social media a whole range of religious issues. As the commissioner said, the key here is context, so yes he did make a comment in regards to ACL, but it was in direct response to a leading question by a police officer about why he was there. So he certainly said other things in that statement at the hospital immediately after which gave greater context to this and he made it very clear that his intention was ‘to blow himself up’ quote. And that is why he had travelled there. And certainly the evidence we obtained from other medical staff and others he had interacted with is that he went to other locations on the evening with a view to committing suicide and then because of other people around at that time, he didn’t believe it was appropriate to undertake that act there, he drove to where the incident occurred and our understanding was that was in fact spontaneous on the night, that was not preplanned.
Hinch said his opinion was ACL head Lyle Shelton was “desperate to make the ACL martyrs in all of this. I think the ACL was quite keen to be seen as a target”.
Is this why the AFP within hours of it happening, were telling journalists, were telling other people this was a suicide, this had nothing to do with the same-sex marriage debate, it had nothing to do with anything?
AFP commissioner Andrew Colvin said he did not want to comment on what Shelton’s motivations may have been.
I accept that he is concerned for his employees and that is a very legitimate concern that he has. We needed to make a statement to the public in the morning to make sure there was an appropriate level of information so the public could understand the events of the evening. ... We didn’t back brief journalists, we did a press conference to everybody who was available and stated what we believed the facts to be at the time. And as I said before I am still confident that subsequent investigations, subsequent facts that have come out have only reinforced the view that we had on that day.”
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Hotlines in other countries can be found here
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In the communications estimates hearing, the media reforms are under the spotlight. Sarah Hanson-Young is pressing quite hard about the journalism cadetship program at the moment. We’ll have more on that for you soon.
A few moments before, Sam Dastyari was pressing Mitch Fifield on what he believed his role was when it came to the public broadcasters and competition.
Dastyari: “Is there a role for the minister in reducing competition faced by commercial broadcasters ... be it from the ABC, SBS or Facebook or Google? You said before minister at the start, you wanted to see thriving commercial broadcasters, and I don’t think anyone doesn’t want to see commercial broadcasting, but to what extent is there a role for government to create, or to protect them.”
Fifield: “I think there is a role for government to help create an environment that is conducive to having a healthy and viable commercial media sector, alongside having a healthy public media sector.”
Dastyari moves on to SBS, and the role of the broadcaster when it comes to advertising.
Dastyari: “Do you see SBS in a different boat in this competitive neutrality enquiry than the ABC in that they do have an advertising component, so they are clearly going to be competing for commercial audiences. Is that correct?”
Fifield: “You are right, SBS is an organisation unlike the ABC that can take advertising, and that could well see SBS making different programming decisions and other decisions compared to the ABC.”
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Some deeply uncomfortable scenes in the legal and constitutional affairs estimates hearing. Eric Abetz and Ian Macdonald made a point of questioning the Australian federal police over their arson investigation involving a mentally ill man who attempted suicide by driving into the Australian Christian Lobby office late last year.
Jaden Duong, 36, who struggled with mental illness for much of his life, died by suicide in September. He was awaiting trial on arson charges for the December incident.
Head of the ACL, Lyle Shelton, has refused to concede the incident was not politically motivated, despite the AFP repeatedly stating Duong was motivated by a desire to end his own life.
On Tuesday morning, Macdonald and Abetz took up the ACL’s case during estimates with the AFP’s Andrew Colvin and the ACT police’s Justine Saunders.
Saunders said Duong looked at other locations, but decided against them because were too crowded. He decided on the ACL carpark, she said, because it was empty.
Macdonald and Abetz do not look convinced and Penny Wong and Louise Pratt attempted to stop some of the questioning, which went into methodology on the grounds it was damaging and breached guidelines on how to talk about suicide. It’s for those reasons we won’t go into the transcript here. Colvin eventually puts a stop to it when he says he is uncomfortable discussing something which is before the coroner.
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Hotlines in other countries can be found here
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We are still waiting on word from the high court. There is no mention of the judgment on the court schedule for today.
